The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1887-07-23
LEAD US NOT.

I have often thought that it might be
easier to bear If I spoke to some one.
Perhaps all the time I have been exag-
gerating things in my own mind, and
need not have worried SO. But it is
very hard to speak about it.; don't
think any one else can quite realize all
the circumstances. know I could
not speak TO any one but you, who will
understand good deal that cannot
tell.
You remember little Hal. Though it
was twenty years ago, you tave not
forgotten how bright and strong he
was. Do you remember telling me
once that he had the look of a St,
George with the dragon? You could
not have said anything to please me
more. That Is what I am going to tell
you about.
[ had always thought that he had a
strong face for such little fellow, Not
because he was handsome; there is
some beauty that am afraid Of; but
certainly his was not weak face, I
used to think it was an innocent face
until mean, it seems to me, there
was something better than innocence
in it; the look of st. George.
We were so proud Of him and there
Was 50 much we might we'll be proud
of. He was always bright and frank :
never sulky; never iII-tempered he
was gay, affectionate, happy with sim>
pie pleasures, seeming, you used to say
yourself, Mary, as if he would never
nave fault. 1t is harder to tell you
than thought; but unless tell you
now, you will imagine it something
worse than it was; for am sure, as l
think it over with the wisdom I have
gained in twenty years, that exagger-
ated ii that 1 need not have been 50
troubled over childish fault.
l had been missing some of my
money; sometimes out of my drawers
sometimes out Of my desk, sometimes
out of my purse. Very little, of course;
but l was always very exact in my
accounts, and I should have known If
a cent were gone.
/ thought, at first, that I had made
some careless mistake in counting; but
there came timc--though all this
was in only few days-when knew
that it could not be my mistake. It
seemed impossible to suspect my ser.
vants-all old servants who had been
faithful to me for years and, besides, /
had never been careless, and had al
ways kept valuables under lock and
key. l had, too, an elaborate system
OF hiding my keys, whicn had amused
Louis as such perfect "woman's
way;' it did not seem possible that the
servants could have made out this sys-
| tenn OF hiding, even if l had suspected
them Of any willingness to open my
| drawers. l knew that any one from
outside, If he had succeeded in opening
the drawer, would have taken the Jew.
elry and other valuables lying close al
hand; for it was only iittie-only 8
very little - money, Mary, that
missed. Still, it has been taken; and
my heart misgave me.
| For only Hal knew where my keys
were. l had let him see me put them
away, and had sometimes let him hide
them from possible robbers. The agony
l suffered when the thought first came
to me was something that l cannot
speak of even now. You know me
we'll enough to trust me; to feel sure
that ! did not blight my child's sou
with terrible suspicion till 1 was sure
l cannot tell you all about that; but
was sure. And l could not let it res
there; / could not rest with lock
ing up things more carefully;
must know that the blot was not inef
faceably on my child's soul; / mus
trust him. OF what use 10 take away
temptation If there was that In hi:
heart that would have been tempted
OF what use to lock my drawer il